Two Kalamazoo County strip malls have become the center of an organized effort to steal and resell candy bars to unsuspecting customers.

The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office is investigating 31 cases of children and parents selling stolen candy, said Michelle Greenlee, Kalamazoo County undersheriff. The thefts prompted the Oshtemo Township Board of Trustees to pass an ordinance requiring sellers obtain a license from the township, which gives law enforcement more freedom to question the sellers.

The ordinance was unanimously passed on March 24. Some parents have been charged already and law enforcement is still awaiting charges from the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor's Office for the children involved.

Organized Candy Theft Ring

Greenlee said charges of organized retail fraud are being considered, but could not provide more details. The kids target Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Target and Walgreens in the Maple Hill Pavilion, 5022 W. Main St., to allegedly steal the candy.

They then cross West Main Street and sell the stolen candy outside Kohl's, Harding's Marketplace and Lowe's in the Westmain Shopping Center, 5125 W. Main St.

The kids are running into the stores and taking the candy, said James Porter, attorney for Oshtemo Township. Employees at Target have called law enforcement to report the "candy boys" are here, Porter said.

Parents help the children by driving them to the various locations, Porter said. The sheriff's office has received "quite a number of complaints" called in by department stores, prompted by customers reporting the kids are being "aggressive or harassing," Greenlee said.

Kids can make up to $90 per box of the stolen candy, Porter said.

Ordinance Change Gives Law Enforcement Tools

The Oshtemo Township Board amended their soliciting rules in an attempt to help law enforcement deal with what they called "a growing trend" of kids and young adults reselling stolen candy, and in some instances, with the assistance of adults.

The ordinance change officially took effect on April 2 and tightened the requirements for legal solicitation. Initialy, the ordinance allowed minors to solicit without a license or official township registration on behalf of a nonprofit organization such as a school, charity or religious group.

The change removes that exception and enforces that these nonprofit organizations now register with the township clerk, something the exemption excused from doing when solicitations on their behalf were being done by minors.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office deputies said the change is not meant to make legitimate fundraising efforts more difficult, rather, give law enforcement probable cause to confront suspected stolen candy sales and properly address "lower-level offenses proactively" as part of "a broader community safety strategy."

Escalation to More Serious Crimes

Deputies said in late 2025 businesses began reporting an increase in thefts of large amounts of candy, primary by juveniles and young adults, and at the same time, business owners observed people selling candy at storefront entrances without permission or prior notification.

KCSO Chief Deputy Logan Bishop said in some instances adults were aiding in the sale of stolen items. They currently have two with the Kalamazoo County prosecutor where they are seeking charges.

They've also seen escalation to more serious crimes such as attempted thefts targeting parked cars, some harassment and even assault, Bishop said.

From Oct. 10, 2025, to March 31, Bishop said deputies have received between 30 and 40 reports related to the issue.

Initially, deputies' hands were tied because although business owners complained about the candy thefts, the existing solicitation rules protected minors from being questioned about their sales activities. The new ordinance closes that loophole and gives law enforcement the tools to address the problem.

Community Impact

Business leaders in Oshtemo Township told their community resource officer, a Kalamazoo County sheriff's deputy, about the issue involving children stealing candy and then selling it in shopping plaza parking lots.

Muhammad Alfaraj owns House of Champions Gym in the impacted area off West Main Street. He has seen the young people firsthand.

"You have kids walking around, early in the day, late in the night. Bothering people if you're going to buy candy. That sort of thing. And they keep coming to you. It's not a one-time thing," Alfaraj said.

"One time there was one dude that was with them, between 18 and 20. He carried a huge gun with them. If you're selling candy, why are you doing this?" Alfaraj said.

The sheriff's office said the goal is to reduce this behavior under the new ordinance adopted by Oshtemo Township that requires sales for fundraisers to have proper permitting.

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